Phantom Closing?- Page 24

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 10:47am

defenses said: "martinsmithfan said: "I’m curious what everyone’s thoughts are on Ben Crawford’s Phantom?"

As for Ben, I am SUPER biased since he's the only Phantom I’ve seen"

If Ben Crawford is the only actor you've ever seen in the role, then I caution you against assuming he's the best because you literally have nothing with which to compare him. To be clear, I'm not knocking him; Ben has an extraordinarily powerful voice, and the first time I saw him, I found myself thinking that he could probably sing it without a microphone. However, I thought him much more impressive during his earlier years, as the strange vocal inflections came in with the post-pandemic reopening, and I find that his acting now sometimes seems brutish, with more shouting and unmannered movements which I feel are alien to the character.

If you can get a ticket to see Greg Mills. Jeremy Stolle, or Laird Mackintosh, I strongly encourage you to experience their takes. Greg and Laird approach the role from what I call a "classical' perspective, i.e., they sing it and act it in a manner similar to Michael Crawford, who was 100% directed by Hal Prince. Greg, in particular, is very elegant and sensual, and I find that this makes his seduction of Christine during "Music of the Night" much more believable. Jeremy Stolle's interpretation also draws from Michael Crawford, but he throws in touches of more overt madness. All three of these gentlemen have superb voices which are well-suited to the role.

Updated On: 2/12/23 at 10:47 AM

[defenses]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 11:25am

Lot666 said: "defenses said: "martinsmithfan said: "I’m curious what everyone’s thoughts are on Ben Crawford’s Phantom?"

As for Ben, I am SUPER biased since he's the only Phantom I’ve seen"
If Ben Crawford is the only actor you've ever seen in the role, then I caution you against assuming he's the best because you literally have nothing with which to compare him. To be clear, I'm not knocking him; Ben has an extraordinarily powerful voice, and the first time I saw him, I found myself thinking that he could probably sing it without a microphone. However, I thought him much more impressive during his earlier years, as the strange vocal inflections came in with the post-pandemic reopening, and I find that his acting now sometimes seems brutish, with more shouting and unmannered movements which I feel are alien to the character.

If you can get a ticket to see Greg Mills. Jeremy Stolle, or Laird Mackintosh, I strongly encourage you to experience their takes. Greg and Laird approach the role from what I call a "classical' perspective, i.e., they sing it and act it in a manner similar to Michael Crawford, who was 100% directed by Hal Prince. Greg, in particular, is very elegant and sensual, and I find that this makes his seduction of Christine during "Music of the Night" much more believable. Jeremy Stolle's interpretation also draws from Michael Crawford, but he throws in touches of more overt madness. All three of these gentlemen have superb voices which are well-suited to the role."

I did not call him the best. I know I don’t have enough knowledge to do that, considering I rarely watch/listen to Phantoms outside Broadway and West End. I said his performance personally clicks with me and my view of the show. I’m very lucky that I am able to see one of the Phantoms I enjoy live because I obviously missed the chance to see Hugh Panaro and Norm Lewis.

If things work out, I will see Stolle because he is the understudy I prefer the most. Mills is okay, and I do not like Mackintosh’s voice.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 12:15pm

defenses said: "I did not call him the best."

My apologies if I misrepresented your thoughts. You wrote that you are "super biased" because Ben is the only actor you've seen in the role, and I simply meant that others may equal or even exceed his performance, but you couldn't know that because he's the only one you've seen.

defenses said: "I obviously missed the chance to see Hugh Panaro and Norm Lewis."

Panaro is indeed a loss. He was superb (another who emulated Michael Crawford and followed Hal Prince's direction), and I was gutted when he left. I thought Lewis was okay, but not one of the greats; he has a wonderful voice, but his vocal strength lies too far down the scale for this particular role, so he struggled with the high notes (e.g., end of Music of the Night).

defenses said: "If things work out, I will see Stolle because he is the understudy I prefer the most. Mills is okay, and I do not like Mackintosh’s voice."

So Ben Crawford is not the only actor you've seen in the role. Just out of curiosity, are you acquainted with the original Crawford/Brightman/Barton cast recording, and if so, what do you think of Michael Crawford?

Updated On: 2/12/23 at 12:15 PM

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 12:59pm

I think Ben Crawford has an incredible voice but I find his acting a bit lacking. I don't get much vulnerability from his performance, especially at the end of the final lair when I feel like it's especially important.  

And while this may be irrelevant to some, I have an issue with his bad attendance. At a certain point if you can't commit to performing the role on a regular basis, I feel the role should go to someone else who can.  

Updated On: 2/12/23 at 12:59 PM

[defenses]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 1:34pm

Lot666 said: "My apologies if I misrepresented your thoughts. You wrote that you are "super biased" because Ben is the only actor you've seen in the role, and I simply meant that others may equal or even exceed his performance, but you couldn't know that because he's the only one you've seen."

I’m in several fandoms that have very long histories, so I am careful about using favorite and best. It’s just one of those things that grind my gears since they aren’t always equal! I could write essays on my favorites who may or may not be the best. :) As for being super biased, I just meant I am a fan of his so what I have to say will be positive.

"Panaro is indeed a loss. He was superb (another who emulated Michael Crawford and followed Hal Prince's direction), and I was gutted when he left. I thought Lewis was okay, but not one of the greats; he has a wonderful voice, but his vocal strength lies too far down the scale for this particular role, so he struggled with the high notes (e.g., end of Music of the Night)."

I will always be sad that I never saw Hugh Panaro's earlier runs in person. He would have been around when I was at the age when a lot of people tend to see Phantom for the first time. Growing up on Long Island, I’m not sure how I missed that rite of passage! I love Lewis’ voice because I am a sucker for a Phantom with a deeper voice. He plays the role too soft for me, but he’s such an enjoyable listen. I tend to be willing to make a pass on acting if I like a voice enough since I can just listen to audio.

"So Ben Crawford is not the only actor you've seen in the role. Just out of curiosity, are you acquainted with the original Crawford/Brightman/Barton cast recording, and if so, what do you think of Michael Crawford?"

Ben is the only one I’ve seen live in person, but I’ve watched/listened to a disgusting number of boots since seeing the show for the first time! I have only listened to one or two numbers of the original cast recording, but I have checked out boots. Michael Crawford is in the middle of the road for me. I enjoy the “haunting” aspect of his voice, but I wouldn’t be scrambling for a ticket if he were somehow able to perform now. Honestly, it’s very hard for me to feel connected to the original cast because I didn’t grow up listening to the soundtrack (like many have), and they were finished with the roles before I was born.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 1:35pm

“…but I wouldn’t be scrambling for a ticket if he were somehow able to perform now.”

 

I would sell my soul to be able to see Michael Crawford do this show.

[defenses]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 1:44pm

Jordan Catalano said: "“…but I wouldn’t be scrambling for a ticket if he were somehow able to perform now.”

I would sell my soul to be able to see Michael Crawford do this show."

99% of the fandom feels that way! It makes me feel like a "bad fan." (Fun fact: I also don't want Ramin as the Phantom either. I'm just going to hide in my corner now!)

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 4:44pm

MemorableUserName said: "Fosse76 said: "MemorableUserName said: " …
https://us.thephantomoftheopera.com/


"

Though the chart indicates that the final Saturday matinee is sold out, Telecharge is listing over 50 available premium-priced orchestra seats.

[Huss417]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 4:53pm

Jordan Catalano said: "“…but I wouldn’t be scrambling for a ticket if he were somehow able to perform now.”



I would sell my soul to be able to see Michael Crawford do this show."

Was fortunate enough to have seem him 3 times in London and 4 in New York. His final performance was an amazing night and he was sicker than a dog but still went on.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 10:58pm

Saw the show this past Monday and was pleasantly surprised to get Laird Mackintosh as Phantom (I've enjoyed Ben before but it's always nice to see other actors in the role).  I specifically chose the date to see Julia Udine, and I thought she was absolutely wonderful, and the two of them made a good pair.  Julia has a bit of a younger sounding voice (maybe a brighter timbre?) that reminds me a bit of what I've heard from Katie Hall, but some of her inflections also remind me of Sarah Brightman, but I really enjoyed her rendition of the songs (probably a bit more than Emilie's imo).  Ben is a more powerful singer, but I think Laird had a bit more nuance in his acting, and really seemed to portray a wider depth of emotions.  Firmin and Andre also seemed funnier than ever (particularly Firmin).  Jeremy Stolle was on for Piangi, and I can't help thinking he sounded a bit weak, though nothing that detracted too much.

I think I'll probably be around to see this one more time before it closes, but even if I don't, this was a fantastic experience to end on.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 2/12/23 at 11:12pm

The top ticket price for both shows on April 15 is now $918. Wild.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 9:10am

Jordan Catalano said: "“…but I wouldn’t be scrambling for a ticket if he were somehow able to perform now.”

I would sell my soul to be able to see Michael Crawford do this show."

Same here.

On a side note, I'm still reeling over the $918 price of tickets for April 15.

[PanaroFan111]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 9:11am

FANtomFollies said: "I think Ben Crawford has an incredible voice but I find his acting a bit lacking. I don't get much vulnerability from his performance, especially at the end of the final lair when I feel like it's especially important.

And while this may be irrelevant to some, I have an issue with his bad attendance. At a certain point if you can't commit to performing the role on a regular basis, I feel the role should go to someone else who can."

I have noticed his attendance has been rather bad since Thanksgiving, my wife and i really enjoy him and that's why it's annoying when you see Hes out on the black board.

Yes, Jeremy Ted Greg and Laird are terrific.

(Not a Phan of Paul's Phantom rather have him as Raoul)

But when you go see the show and tix are very expensive and Hes out 5 out of 6 times in a recent 3 month span yes, we have the right to be annoyed.

My personal opinion is i think Hes kind of pissed off because i have a feeling, he wont be the closing Phantom, and they are bringing in big name for the final push (Cough Cough Ramin)

But like i said its only my opinion and all i know is every time I go with my wife it's getting harder and harder knowing its closing

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 10:19am

(Here are the promised long comments no one likely cares about.)

So I was there Tuesday and Wednesday evening, along with the previous Wednesday evening (2/1). Three shows in 8 days might not have seemed like a lot before the closing announcement, but with the post-announcement prices, it feels a little insane. When I think about how much I spent…ouch. (Almost grabbed another ticket for Saturday when they dropped to $195 before managing to restrain myself.)

- Ben was on for all three shows. I didn’t detect any Muppet voice in the latter two (there definitely was in the first one). Solid is the word I would use for him too. I don’t necessarily love him, but he’s solid in the role and does some interesting things, though he is a bit lacking in nuance. One thing I do appreciate is his physicality and the way he uses his body.

- Tuesday was the first time I managed to see Emilie. I tried early in her run and kept getting the schedule wrong; then when I finally made it to a Saturday night when she was supposed to be in, she wasn't, so I gave up trying. I wasn’t sold on her voice at first. There was something about some of the notes that wasn’t working for me…a certain…harshness at times? I either got used to it or came to accept it as part of her performance, because I did find her acting in the role very strong. Hers was a much more openly terrified and desperate Christine. (This was even more apparent after seeing Julia’s rather strong version the following night.) In “All I Ask of You,” it really felt like she was pleading with him for things she needed, not just reciting a list of pretty things. In “Twisted Every Way” it felt like she was barely holding it together and was being, well, what the title describes. (Julia’s Christine seemed annoyed with the lot of them.) Julia’s WYWSHA sounded lovely and she got a reasonable response for it; Emilie’s sounded like she was pouring out her heart and soul. It had much more of an emotional impact, and the audience’s reaction was much bigger. It was interesting to see them both one after the other, each with her own strengths.

- I mentioned before that I saw the Raoul understudy on 2/1 and didn’t care for him. Others stepped in to defend his voice, but my issue wasn’t with his voice, which was fine. It was the acting and lack of presence and chemistry with Christine. Riddle was back for both shows this week, and I really love him in the role. It’s not just the singing, though I think his voice is glorious; it’s the acting. In “Think of Me” there’s that moment where he’s flipping through his program, and then he realizes who she is, and this look of complete delight comes over him. There’s a bigness to his reaction without going over-the-top. (When Murphy did this moment, it was just...fine.) Through the final verse when the attention is back on her, when a lot of Raouls would fade into the background, Riddle’s still playing it like he can barely contain himself and his heart’s about to burst from his chest (this was bigger on Tuesday than Wednesday). Not in a way to take attention from her--most probably wouldn't notice--just a logical continuation of what was happening in his verse, and given how fast the Raoul-Christine relationship develops, those big emotions from the start help sell it. I’m always interested in seeing what actors are doing when they’re not the focus in a scene, and there’s a lot of good stuff there with him. It’s a great performance all around. (I also appreciate a Raoul who is able to do the “It’s an engagement, not a crime” line without sounding like a condescending dick or angry jerk.)

He also had better chemistry with Emilie than Julia, so I’m willing to concede some of Murphy’s chemistry problems may have been with Julia. In the second kiss in AIAOY when Christine kisses him back, Emilie really went for it, which Christine should, because…it’s passionate. You’re in love. Julia’s response was a slower, more restrained sort of, “Oh, okay. I’ll kiss you now.” that felt like going through the motions. I’m a cheeseball and am primed to be swept away in that moment—that slow, purposeful step when he walks toward her, then he kisses her, then she throws her arms around him and kisses him back... I got the emotion I was looking for Tuesday. Not so much on Wednesday, though the lack of heat wasn’t coming from his side.

- Trista Moldovan was on as Carlotta in the last two shows. She wasn’t as bitchy as I’m used to, which made for a more grounded Carlotta, which was interesting. The whole “these things do happen” diatribe played less like a hissy fit than a woman making perfectly reasonable comments, and she seemed genuinely hurt in the lead up to "Prima Donna." Up until she called Christine a toad she was oddly sympathetic, at least on Tuesday. (She was a little bitchier Wednesday.)

Hoping to go once or twice more before the prices skyrocket. Interested in seeing Feliciano as Christine if possible; looks like she only has one date left, next week.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 11:01am

MemorableUserName said: "Trista Moldovan was on as Carlotta in the last two shows. She wasn’t as bitchy as I’m used to, which made for a more grounded Carlotta, which was interesting. The whole “these things do happen” diatribe played less like a hissy fit than a woman making perfectly reasonable comments, and she seemed genuinely hurt in the lead up to "Prima Donna." Up until she called Christine a toad she was oddly sympathetic, at least on Tuesday. (She was a little bitchier Wednesday.)"

Is Trista the first actress to play Christine and then later return to the show to play Carlotta?

[defenses]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 2:30pm

MemorableUserName said: "Hoping to go once or twice more before the prices skyrocket. Interested in seeing Feliciano as Christine if possible; looks like she only has one date left, next week."

Yes! Go see her next week. I just got tickets to see Julia Wednesday night, and I will be following Telecharge to see Kanisha. I already have tickets to see Elizabeth Welch in March. I gotta see them all!

[Piparoo]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 2:55pm

Is there somewhere I can find performers' schedules. The official website just indicates the dates that Julie is going on. Sorry if this has been asked previously.

[defenses]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 3:02pm

Piparoo said: "Is there somewhere I can find performers' schedules. The official website just indicates the dates that Julie is going on. Sorry if this has been asked previously."

John Riddle will be playing Raoul through 2/18. Paul A. Schaefer will be taking over 2/20.

AFAIK, I’m pretty sure these are the only confirmed dates for understudy Phantoms:

2/13 Ted
2/20 Jeremy
2/27 Greg
3/6 Laird
3/13 Ted
3/20 Jeremy
3/27 Greg
4/3 Ted

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 4:38pm

"now a 76-year-old billionaire"

"'With a show like [Phantom]' Mackintosh says, 'the best thing you can possibly do, marketing-wise, is say that it is coming off.'"

Don’t forget the old faves: Producer Cameron Mackintosh knows why shows like ‘Les Misérables’ endure

[chernjam]

Posted: 2/13/23 at 6:10pm

Lot666 said: ""now a 76-year-old billionaire"

"'With a show like [Phantom]' Mackintosh says, 'the best thing you can possibly do, marketing-wise, is say that it is coming off.'"

Don’t forget the old faves: Producer Cameron Mackintosh knows why shows like ‘Les Misérables’ endure"

 

Since it's behind the paywall, not sure I understand the quote of context - can you explain Lot ?

[defenses]

Posted: 2/14/23 at 8:50am

I’m not sure if they removed the paywall or I just lucked out and could bypass it. It discusses his background and how the pandemic has changed theater. Here’s the specific part where he discusses Phantom’s closing:

In the case of “Phantom,” the Broadway closing notice has, of course, boosted the box office to the point where most performances now are sold out, a popularity fueled by a combination of FOMO and repeat business. “With a show like that,” Mackintosh says, “the best thing you can possibly do, marketing-wise, is say that it is coming off. Otherwise, people go on thinking it is part of the wallpaper.”

“Phantom,” he insists is, in fact, coming off (for one thing, Broadway’s Majestic Theatre is overdue for a renovation) but that doesn’t mean it won’t be back, or that “Les Misérables” won’t be back, too.

The latter of Mackintosh’s Big Two has seen more change: the production now touring has been on the road for several years, and is hardly shorn of spectacle, but it is separate from the Trevor Nunn staging, replete with turntable. “Phantom” remains much as the Hal Prince production was at opening; in fact, the run has outlasted the long life of its widely beloved director. And, of course, the show was created in the pre-digital era; the various technological retrofits over the years cannot obscure the reality that “Phantom” would be produced very differently today, if it were produced at all, given the plot of sensual pursuit that stops just short of a kidnapping.

What does Mackintosh make of all of this change?

“Well,” he said, “the work has to actually exist first before someone can do a reinterpretation. Whatever people are involved in that creation, shows have to start out being great in order to last and audiences have to be attracted to the subject matter if they are going to work over time. That’s still true. COVID created a mess. But I think the pandemic also has made people appreciate the preciousness of the theater; those that still come really appreciate it and no longer take so much for granted.”

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/14/23 at 8:51am

chernjam said: "Since it's behind the paywall, not sure I understand the quote of context - can you explain Lot ?"

Not sure what's going on for you, but the article isn't behind a paywall. 

[TellZ]

Posted: 2/14/23 at 2:26pm

Lot666 said: "Is Trista the first actress to play Christine and then later return to the show to play Carlotta?"

There's at least one other; Kimilee Bryant has also played both roles.

[chernjam]

Posted: 2/14/23 at 3:59pm

They're still using the Majestic needs renovation excuse?  Guess its better than "I want to shut it down, bring in something inferior and cheaper."

[defenses]

Posted: 2/16/23 at 12:11am

I just got home from Wednesday night’s show, and I have a lot of feelings. Most of them are about John Riddle!! The show feels so different when Raoul is a strong member of the trio. I’m so sad I probably won’t get to see him again